Jamaican Inducted In The University Of Miami Sports Hall Of Fame

UM Sports Hall of Fame to hold its 41st Induction Banquet ! The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame will hold its 41st Annual Induction banquet this Thursday night, April 23rd, at Miami’s Jungle Island. The banquet begins with cocktails at 6 pm, and the dinner and induction speeches at 7 pm. Tickets to the event are $85 each and reservations can be made by calling Ken Lancaster at 305-666-6000, or going to UMSportsHallofFame.com. The Class of 2009 is highlighted by current NFL star Edgerrin James, who will be in attendance. Also included are 1980’s football lineman Mike Sullivan, basketball star Tim James, baseball star Aubrey Huff and Warren Bogle, the first Miami player to reach the Major Leagues, Jamaican track Olympian Davian Clark and women’s National Champion golfer Cathy Morse ! Nestled on the Coral Gables campus next to the Hecht Athletic Center, the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit charitable organization, who’s sole purpose is to promote the University of Miami’s athletic teams and to preserve its history. All donations to the UMSHOF are tax deductible.

Davian Clarke Bio: Davian Clarke Men’s Track 1995-1998 Davian Clarke, a two-time NCAA national champion and 6-time All-American, left his mark on the University of Miami’s men’s track program. He was raised in Spanish Town, Jamaica and moved to the U.S. in 1993 to attend Piper High School in Sunrise, Fl., where he won the state title in the 400 meters. Once he stepped on the Coral Gables campus, the accomplishments would continue to roll in. As a Freshman in 1995, he earned All-American honors with a fifth place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (45.52 seconds) and set a then-school record (45.22) in the 400 meters at the Jamaican Nationals. He placed 2nd and set a school record (46.99) in the 400 meters Indoors at the big East Championships. As a sophomore in 1996, he won his first national title in the outdoor 400 meters with a time of 45.29. That Summer, he would go on to win a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta as the anchor of Jamaica’s 4×400 meter relay team (2:59.42). In 1997, he earned All-American honors in the 400 meters with a 6th place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. That season, he broke a 10-year UM record in the 200 meters with a time of 20.66 at the Big East Outdoor Championships. Clarke also won the 400 meters (46.31) and the 4×400 meter relay at that meet. As a Senior in 1998, Clarke finished first in the 400 meters Indoors (45.18) and second in the nation in the 400 meters Outdoors (45.18) He finished his UM career with 13 All-Big East honors, one All-Big East Academic honor, and held the school record in seven different events, records that still stand today. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, he continued his international sprint career, winning 8 medals for his native country, including a Gold Medal as a member of the 4×400 meter team at the World Indoor Championships. He retired from competition in 2007. Currently, Davian and his wife, Lacena, reside in Austin, Texas, where he serves his community as a member of the UT-Austin Police Department.